Regulator for a pneumatic circuit.



F. C..WHITE.

REGULATOR FOR A vPIITEUMATIG CIRCUIT. APPLICATION FILED JUNI: a, 1912. RENEWBD SEPT. s0, 191s.

1,082,666. Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT CFFICE.

FRANK C. WHITE, MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB T0 THEKWILCOX & WHITE COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F CONNECTICUT.

REGULATOR FOR A.PNEUMATIC CIRCUIT.

specification of Letters raient. Patented Dec. 30, 1913.l

Application led June 6, 1912, Serial No. 701,967. Renewed September 30, 1913. Serial No. 792,689.

To all whom it may concern Be it known'thattI, FRANK C. WHITE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, New Haven county, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Regulators for a Pneumatic Circuit, of which the following is a- 'full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved governor and regulator which is of particular utility in connection with .pneumatic cir-y -forth in my (zo-pending application serially numbered 683,941. In the present case, the

' main features of-construction cor-respond in arrangement and operation. Certain features, however, are improved so as to secure improved results. I

In the accompanyiI-ig drawing, the single figure is adiagrammaticj illustration of such parts of a pneumatic system as are essential to a full understanding of the improvements set forth herein, the regulator being shown mainly in section. r

As to the details'ot construction of the present'case which correspond to those set forth in my companion application above referred to, itis unnecessary for .me to describe the same at length since reference may be had to that case. I shall, therefore, herein c only briefly describe such features.

A conventionally represents an action 1 chestwhich may contain the usual striking pneumatics (not shown).l

. B conventionally represents an exhauster of any suitable form for drawing air from the action chest.

C-C represent two sections of a-wind trunk leading from the action chest to the exhauster. Between the two sections C--C is located the regulator andgovernor.

D is a chest having a chamber therein.

E is a llapsible bellows. F is the movable back oard thereof. v G is a tension spring operating to move the baclrhoard in a direction to distend the bellows.

l the bellows E, while the wind trunk section C leads from the chest D to the exhauster B.

I-I-`-I--I are valves which respectively control port's leading from thespace within the bellows to the several chambers inthe valve chest H. Theivalves I-I-,;I-- I" are suitably connected with the movable baclrboard l" so that als thebackboard moves, these valves will be moved so as to progressively and successively open and close the series. of ports controlled thereby.l These connections may comprise pieces of catgut, or other suit-able cord, indicated at K-KA K--K respectively. For the purpose of regulation, these connect-ions may pass air- Atight vthrough small passages in the backboard and be respectively connected with capstan screws L-L.-L-L' so that each valvesmay be independently adjusted by .turning its respective screw.

M-MMM" are passages which respectively connect the interior of the chest I) with those sections of the valve chest controlled by the'aforesaid valves I-I'fIL- 1. The Apassages ll -M-M are conlplled by normally closed cut -oil valves by pouch pneumatics O--O-O". ducts P-P- P may connect said pouch pneumatics with a tracker board Q which may be provided with suitable note openings R and with extra openings S-S-S" for the ducts B P-P respectively, whereby when one or more of theselast mentioned tracker openings is uncovered during the playing ot' the instrument, the pouch pneumatic or pneumaticscontrolled thereby I will be operated to open one or more of the cut-oft valves aforesaid.

T represents a by-pass which' directly conn ects the chamber inthe chest Dwith the space within the bellows E. Thispassage vis normally closed bv a cutoit valve U, which in turn may be controlled by a pouch pneumatic V, in turn connected by a duct W. with a tracker opening X. All the cut-Oil val'ves normally stand xclosed. It will be observed there is no cut-oli' valve provided for the passage which is controlledby the regulator valve I, the reason for which will later belcome apparent.

J-JJ`-- are springs. Each of these ,springs is connected Aat .one end with h N-N" respectively. These last inentioned valves may be respectively controlled other end is connected with the movable backboard F of the bellows E. The tendency of the lsprings J-J--J-J is to close the aforesaid valves. It is at this point that the present invention discloses substantial improvement over the construetion disclosed in my former application. In that case, these valve closing springs were connected at one end to the aforesaid valves and were connected at the other end to a stationary abutment independent of the backboard F ofthe bellows. as the backboard moved back to distend the bellows, the tension of these valve closing springs had to be overcome in opening the valves, and in that case also, the spring ernployed for moving the baekboard had to be heavy enough to properly resist the air tension within the bellows B and the added tension of the valve closing springs J. In the present case, the springs JMW-5# J" operate on the backboard'F in the same direction' as the bellows opening spring G, instead of against said spring G. In other` words, assuming the valve I is fully closed, if the backboard F continues to move toward the valve, it will actually compress said spring, which adds that much to the resistance of spring G. The same is true ofthe balance of the valve closing springs. I have found that by this arrangement su- In that case,.

perior results are secured and all tendency.,

to dragiis eliminated.

Operation: It will be seen that when the apparatus is in operation, the air circuit will be through the part A, through the trunk section C, through the regulator and governor and valved passages, through the truck section C and "through the exhauster B. When the parts stand as shown in the drawing, air will pass solely through the port controlled by the valve I, the bellows E serving to regulate the position of said valve I under varying pumping pressures so as to maintain a substantially uniform tension within the trunk C and part A. If higher tension is desired in the trunk C, the tracker opening S is opened, thus opening the valve M', whereupon the higher tension of the exhauster B collapses the bellows E slightly more than in the first instance, and so as to close the port controlled by the valve I;

whereupon the air tension will be regulatedby the valve I', and so on. At any time the 'full tensionof the exhauster B may be put in direct communication with the section C of the wind trunk by simply opening valve U, which is accomplished by uncovering the tracker' opening X.

By the employment of the regulator and governor herein described, any desired degree of tension may be obtained in. the chest A, and the particular air tension whichobtains at any time will be maintained against abnormal or noticeable `fluctuation by the automatic action of the regulator bellows E operating upon that particular valve which is in operation at that time. In effect it will be seen that the regulator operates upon an air circuit and --includes at least two .valve controlled passages connecting the two ends ofthe circuit, with a regulator valve for each of said passages, and with means for controlling one of said passages at least so that it may normally be entirely closed. In respect to operation, the present appa- Iratas corresponds substantially to the operation of the apparatus set forth in my companion application, with the exception .mentioned in regard to the action of the valve closing springs J-J-J-J, the arrangement and function of which in the present case constitutes a distinct improvement over the construction disclosed. in my companion case.

The operation of the cut-olf valves may -be controlled either manually by the tips of the lingers which 'may be employed as valves for tracker openings leading to the respective cut-off valve pouch pneumatics, or a note sheet may be employed as the valve, said note sheet being properly perforated to uncover such openings whenever it is desired to increase the tension above the lowest regulated tension which is accomplished through the medium of the valve I. It is obvious that the particular form of valves and pneumatics is not material.

Each spring J-J-Ie-J operates in effect as a yielding link between the backboard F of the bellows and cach of the regnlator valves respectively so that as the backboard tiuctuates and moves any one of the valves I-I-I or Im, the particular spring or yielding link associated with the particular f'alve operating at any given time offers no added resistance to the baclrboard. For example, as shown in the drawing. the parts are in the position which they would iassume when the lowest regulated tension is obtaining, such tension being controlled by the valve I. Obviously as the backboard tluctuates, the spring J and valve I move freely therewith, the tension of air within the bellows overcoming the resistance of the spring-G alone. If the bellows is su'liieiently collapsed so that the tension isbeing regulated by the valve I, the resistance of the spring G is augmented by the springs J- J-'J so that the instant it is desired to return to a ,lower tension, the springs J- J-J cooperate with the spring G in eX- panding the bellows to that degree necessary to bring the proper regulator valve into operation. rlfhese springs, therefore, act as assisters for the spring G under such conditions. From this, it will be seen that any tendency to drag or any sluggish movement of the bellows in returning to a lower tension from a higher tension is prevented.

What I claim is:

l. A regulator for a pneumatic circuit having two passages connecting the opposite ends of said circuit, means for causing air to flow through said passages in one direction, regulator,y valve mechanism coacting with at least two of said passages, means for controlling the operation thereof comprisi-ng a bellows having a movable back,

means normally operating to move said back in a diiection to distend said bellows, and an assister therefor, coperating directly with said bellows and said valve mechanism.

2. regulatorvfor a pneumatic circuit having two passages connecting the opposite ends of said circuit, means for-causing air to flow through said passages in one direction, regulator valve mechanism coacting with at least two of said passages, means for controlling the operation thereof comprising a bellows having a movable back, means normally operating to move said back in a direction to distend said bellows, and assisters therefor, said assisters comprising yielding links operatively connecting said 4movable back with said `regulator valvetherefor, said assisters comprising yielding links operatively connecting said `movable back with said regulator valve mechanism, one ofl said links being in the form of a spring.

4. A regulator for a pneumatic circuit having two passages connecting the opposite ends of said circuit, means for causing air to flow through said passages in one direction, regulator valve mechanism coacting with at least two of said passages, means for controlling the operation thereof comprising a bellows having a movable back, means normally operating to move'said back in a direction to distend said bellows, and assist ers therefor, said assisters operating progressively and successively.

5. A regulator for a pneumatic circuit having two passages connecting the opposite ends of said circuit, means for causing air to How through said passa es in one dii'ection, regulator valve mec aiiism vcoacting with at least two of said passages, means for controlling the operation thereof comprising a bellows having a movable back, means normally operatin to move said back in a direction to disten said bellows, an assister for said means arranged within said bellows' comprising a spring operating with said bellows and said valve mechanism, and a noi mally closed cut-off valve for one ofthe passages controlled by said regulator valve mechanism.

FRANK C. WHITE.' Witnesses:

A. G. KUHNLE,

LOUIS -A. KUHNLE.

Copiel of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot Patenti, Washington, D. C.- 

